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Application of Mercury Fish Advisories in the Midwest
Pat McCann
Minnesota Dept of Health
State Fish Consumption Advice
Safe dose approach– Based on Risk Assessment Methods (U.S. EPA
Guidelines)– Many states provide separate advice for “kids &
moms” and the rest of the population
Benefits addressed qualitatively
Mercury in Fish vs. Meal Advice
Hg (ppm) Meal Advice
< 0.12 2 meals / week
0.12 - 0.23 1 meal / week
0.23 - 0.47 2 meals / month
0.47 – 1.0 1 meal / month
> 1.0 Do not eat
A G uide to Y our H ealth
Fish are nut r it ious and good t o eat . But some fi sh may t ake in cont aminant s f romt he wat er t hey l ive in and t he f ood t hey eat . Some of t hese cont aminant s buil d upin t he fi sh - and you - over t ime. These cont aminant s coul d harm t he peopl e who eatt hem, so it is impor t ant t o keep your exposure t o t hese cont aminant s as l ow aspossibl e. This advisor y hel ps you pl an what fi sh t o keep as wel l as how of t en andhow much spor t fi sh t o eat . This advisor y is not int ended t o discourage you f romeat ing fi sh, but shoul d be used as a guide t o eat ing fi sh l ow in cont aminant s.
He alth B enefits
When proper l y prepar ed, fi sh provide a diet high in prot ein and l ow in sat urat edf at s. Many doct ors suggest t hat eat ing a hal f -pound of fi sh each week is hel pf ulin prevent ing hear t disease. Al most any kind of fi sh may have real heal t h benefi t swhen it repl aces a high-f at source of prot ein in t he diet . You can get t he heal t hbenefi t s of fi sh and reduce unwant ed cont aminant s by f ol l owing t his advisor y.
Fish Consumption Advice
Overall Message– EAT FISH– Make choices
Challenge = provide information about contaminants in fish without scaring people away from eating fish altogether
Midwest Fish
Fish Type Hg (ppm) Meal Advice
Panfish < 0.12 2 meals / week
Panfish 0.12 - 0.23 1 meal / week
Predator fish 0.23 - 0.47 2 meals / month
Predator fish 0.47 – 1.0 1 meal / month
Predator fish > 1.0 Do not eat
Commercial Fish Consumption Advice – using FDA data & EPA RfD
Meal Advice Species
2 meals / week Salmon, cod, pollock, canned “light” tuna, catfish, tilapia, herring, sardines,
shrimp, crab, scallops, oysters
2 meals / month Canned “white” tuna, tuna steak, halibut, lobster
Do not eat Shark, swordfish, tile fish, king mackerel
Communication Methods
Annual production and distribution of outreach materials– Rely on Partners to Distribute:
State agencies, environmental groups, resorts, guides, healthcare providers
Web site Annual Press Release – target news media to
increase awareness– Newspaper, Radio, TV
Targeted Outreach to Women
WIC Maternal Child Health Local Public Health Agencies Healthcare Providers
– HMOs– Prenatal care
Source: H. Anderson, WDHFS
Source: H. Anderson, WDHFS
Survey of 1,000 Women who Gave Birth in WI June 1-7, 2003
Purpose of Survey
To assess:– fish consumption during pregnancy– awareness of the fish consumption advisory– familiarity with selected outreach materials
Source: H. Anderson, WDHFS
Source: H. Anderson, WDHFS
Questions?
Ideas?